Brake line failed after med to heavy braking, leaving little to no brake as pedal went to the floor.
The worst 1998 Chevrolet Suburban problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Brakes63
- Visibility48
- Steering21
- Transmission19
- Engine17
- Electrical14
- Suspension14
- Tires14
- Fuel system11
- Lights5
- Locks5
- Seat belts5
- Airbags4
- Body4
- Seats3
- Wheels3
- Acceleration2
Specific symptoms reported on the 1998 Chevrolet Suburban
Wipers 34Pulling 12ABS 11Brake failure 9Tire blowout 9Jerking 5
Recalls 2
Visibility: rearview mirrors/devices: exterior
- What is wrong
- Certain sport utility vehicles, mini vans, and pickup trucks may develop a short circuit in the electric outside rearview mirror switch.
- Risk
- If this were to happen, it could result in an inoperative switch, heat damage to the driver's door, and/or ignition of components in the driver's door and a subsequent vehicle fire without prior warning.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a fused jumper harness to the electric outside rearview mirror switch. Owner notification began on april 24, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact chevrolet at 1‑800‑222‑1020 or gmc at 1‑800‑462‑8782.
Recall number 03V093000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: disc: rotor
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks and multi-purpose passenger vehicles. One or both front brake rotor/hubs were built with an out-of-specification gray iron that can fail during the life of the vehicle.
- Risk
- If a driver continues to drive with a cracked rotor, the cracks could continue around the wheel mounting bolt circle and ultimately result in a wheel separation.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the rotors for a core date of "287" and, if found, replace the rotor.
Recall number 98V033000 · Recall details
See all 2 recalls for the 1998 Chevrolet Suburban
Defect investigations
Erratic power steering assist while driv
The office of defect investigation (odi) has investigated allegations of power steering assist fluctuations in the subject vehicles.for details and a basis for the investigation conclusions, please see the closing report in the ea99-011 public file.odi has not identified a safety-related defect trend in the subject vehicle population.futher expenditure of agency resources on this subject does not appear to be warranted at this time.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by the federal safety agency that no safety-related defect exists.the agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.the engineering is closed.
EA99011
Technical service bulletins for the 1998 Chevrolet Suburban 48
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- This warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action courtesy...
- Fuel system, gasoline
- Equipment: electrical: anti-theft devices
- Equipment
- This warranty administration bulletin provides policy information with the field action courtesy...
- This technical bulletin provides a procedure to reprogram the media disc player with the latest...
- Equipment: electrical: anti-theft devices
- Vehicle Recalls
- This informational bulletin provides the technician with information on what E85 fuel may due to a non E85...
- Expanded Availability for Remanufacture and Return (R&R) Electronic Control Modules
1998 Chevrolet Suburban fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.7L 8‑cyl | RWD | 12 | 17 | 14 |
What 1998 Chevrolet Suburban owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 chevrolet suburban. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the brake pedal failed. The contact mentioned that the ABS and the check engine light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The technician stated the ABS sensor, the inner and outer bearings and the caliber needed to be replaced. The vehicle has been repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 182,000.
I purchased on 11/1997 a new 1998 chevrolet suburban 3/4 ton 2500 series. The suburban has 38,528 original miles and has been garage kept since new. The vehicle has been used primarily as a secondary vehicle for recreational purposes. The suburban has been driven in snow conditions only 12-14 times. I am experiencing excessive brake and fuel line corrosion on the steel brake/fuel lines, flexible brake hoses and connections. I am very concerned over the brake/fuel line corrosion issuea and have since learned that an investigation has been initiated by the federal safety agency on 1/5/11, the federal safety agency investigation file no. Ea11001.
1. Hard stop to avoid hitting wildlife. Going approximately 40 MPH. 2. After the brakes holding for a second or two the pedal dropped to the floor. After that only 1/4 brake power. Once home, observed brake fluid coming from corroded brake lines. 3. I will need to review cost of service.
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 chevrolet suburban. The driver's side linkage connection between the door latch assembly and the interior driver's side handle was defective. Chevrolet stated that there was no recall for this failure. The mechanic stated that there were warranty alerts on the doors, including one for the door knob remaining open due to the detail bracket needing to be replaced. Through online research, the contact found a notice regarding the suburban door handles being difficult to open because the structure was produced incorrectly. The current and failure mileages were 72,083.
Speed variation, and sometimes cease, of operation of windshield wipers. Possible discrepancy with turn signal lever, seems to be affected by, and sometimes corrected with wiggling with the lever.
Dt*: the contact stated while driving 5 MPH on normal road conditions and applying the brakes under normal braking conditions, the brakes increased in stopping distance. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, who determined that the left front brake sensor needed to be replaced. After the vehicle was repaired, the contact noticed a the federal safety agency recall # 05v379000 regarding service brakes hydraulic:antilock. The vehicle was not included in the recall due to the VIN.
Windshield wipers quit at various times. Sometimes work sometimes not, sometimes quit in middle of use.
Each rear tail light assembly circuit board had to be replaced. These occurred at different times (approximately 6 months apart). Now, about a year later, the right rear needs to be replaced again. This was found due to the blinker and brake light failing, so I switched the bulb from the other side, with the exact same results, so I know it is the circuit and not a bad bulb.
My 1998 suburban had same repair done on the ABS brakes that current recall is out for 1999-2002 and gm is saying the part on 99-2000 recall is not the part on my 98 suburban. The dealership says it is the same recall part and they are refusing to reimburse me for repairs I paid for before the recall was issued.
Compare the 1998 Chevrolet Suburban
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Other model years
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Questions about the 1998 Chevrolet Suburban
Is the 1998 Chevrolet Suburban reliable?
Owners have filed 201 complaints about the 1998 Chevrolet Suburban, 1.5 times a typical Suburban model year.
What is the most common problem with the 1998 Chevrolet Suburban?
Brakes, with 63 complaints, typically around 75,600 miles. Next is visibility (48).
How many recalls does the 1998 Chevrolet Suburban have?
2 recalls, covering visibility and service brakes, hydraulic.
Was there a recall on the 1998 Chevrolet Suburban brakes?
Yes, 1 recall: 98V033000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Chevrolet Suburban have bad brakes?
The Chevrolet Suburban model years with the most brakes complaints are 1994 (581 complaints), 1993 (382 complaints) and 1999 (246 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 1998 Chevrolet Suburban get?
Official estimates for the 1998 Chevrolet Suburban range from 14 mpg combined. The most efficient version (5.7L 8-cyl, RWD) gets 12 city and 17 highway.
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